Why is it bad to use an advair inhaler that's been open for over 30 days? what if someone only takes it when

Question

they are sick, but not every day? do they need a new rx each time?

Answer 1

well packinrat has obviously no clue what he is talking about. Advair doesn't have a propellant, it is an inhaled powder. The reason that they say not to use after being open more than 30 days is it can lose some of it's potency and not be as effective. It won't harm you to use it after 30 days, just might not work as well as it is supposed to.

Answer 2

There's no such thing as using an Advair inhaler only when you need it. Considering the things are over a hundred dollars, you're really wasting a lot of money misusing it.
The pharmacologic management of asthma is pretty straightforward and not that difficult to understand. I don't like using cookbook medicine, but I'm going to write one to give you the framework:
For people who only have minimal symptoms infrequently, they may require no treatment other than a "rescue inhaler." The most popular one is albuterol, though there are several others. It's a fast-acting beta-adrenergic agonist, which is to say it has some of the same actions as adrenaline. It gets in and does its work quickly, and leaves quickly, so risks and side-effects are limited.
For people who have asthma that restricts flow on a more regular basis, the mainstay of treatment is a steroid inhaler. If you have a severe asthma attack, treatment with oral or parenteral steroids is warranted, and they work very well within a matter of 12 hours or so, but have significant side-effects when used long-term. Inhaled steroids can be used safely long-term, but have the disadvantage of taking a week or two to begin to work. That's why you can't use the Advair on an "as-needed" basis.
For those whose symptoms who aren't controlled by a combination of a steroid inhaler and a fast-acting beta agonist, the next step is usually a leukotriene inhibitor.
Only in the most severe and recalcitrant of cases should a long-acting beta agonist be used. Advair is a combination of a steroid and a long-acting beta agonist. There are concerns that there may be a trend towards increased deaths in people using long-acting beta agonists, so it isn't a choice to be made lightly.
On the assumption that it is unlikely your doctor is an idiot, I'm going to suggest that your health care has been fragmentary, based on insurance restrictions, and your relationship with your doctor, not being ideal, has left you with a lesser understanding of the disease than one would like. It's probably past time for a good heart-to-heart with your physician on long-term planning. I'd suggest you schedule an appointment for a consultation rather than waiting for an appointment when the immediacy of a flare-up gets in the way of the educational aspect.

Answer 3

That rule is to insure against runing out unexectidly or propelent failure.
Consumers will also notice that only the Ventolin brand of HFA inhaler comes with a counter to track how much medicine is left. For that reason, Hendeles suggests keeping a backup inhaler handy if physicians prescribe a device without a counter.

"There isn't any reliable way of estimating when they're going to run out," said Hendeles, who also serves as a consultant to the FDA.

The review also reports that some HFA inhalers tend to clog more easily. To prevent clogging in HFA inhalers, Hendeles advised, patients should remove the devices' metal canister once a week and clean the plastic actuators with warm water.

Answer 4

i looked it up, is does day to discard after 30days even if not used, it does not say why.. if i had to guess the medication may not be effective but that is my guess. it is a recommendation from the manufacturer